Bumpy road for Malawi’s economy in 2015, economists predict

Economists in Malawi say the country is likely to continue facing financial challenges in 2015 unless the government can regain the confidence of donors, who are still withholding 40 percent of budgetary support due to the corruption scandal known as Cashgate.

Kambala: 2015 maybe worse
Kambala: 2015 maybe worse

More than K20 billion ($30 million) were looted from government coffers in the scandal, and several people, including government officials, were arrested.

The withholding of donor aid has forced Malawi’s government to pass what is known as the Zero Aid national budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Analysts, such as Abel Mwanyungwe, an economics lecturer at the Polytechnic College of the University of Malawi, say the drop in spending has hurt the economy.

“This has been a bumpy year as we are coming from the Cashgate effects that have quite a major dent on the economy’s performance. We have seen that in most cases the very delicate and crucial departments and service providers have been affected, in the sense that we don’t have enough drugs in the hospitals. In schools, in terms of teachers’ payments is not in time,” said Mwanyungwe.

Mwanyungwe also links Cashgate to the recent depreciation of Malawi’s currency, the kwacha, which has resulted in strikes by various government workers demanding higher pay.

For example, support staff for the judiciary have been on strike for six weeks, seeking a 45 percent pay increase which the government says it cannot afford because it has no money.

Workers at Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau went on strike demanding a 70 percent pay raise until the government threatened to forfeit their December salaries if they did not return.

Mwanyungwe said the government can only avoid further strikes in 2015 if it makes efforts to restore donor confidence in the management of its public finances.

“My fear is that if we don’t have this donor confidence and donor support coming back to the economy, we may force the government to go into serious local borrowing that would lead to serious repercussions in terms of inflation, in terms of interest rates and this may have a sort of catch-catch lose situation,” said Mwanyungwe.

The donors are, among other things, demanding that the government prosecute all those involved in the scandal and strengthen its financial management system.

Newton Kambala, the president of the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said according to a quote in The Daily Times  the scandal rendered 2014 as “a very bad year for the business sector, because of huge debts that the government owes the private sector.”

He warned that if the situation persists, “2015 will be worse.”

In his state of the nation address last Saturday, Malawi president Peter Mutharika said his government is doing everything possible to address the problems caused by the Cashgate scandal.

“My government has strengthened the financial system to make sure that Cashgate never occurs again in Malawi.  We have resourced fairly well the law enforcement institutions, including the Anti-Corruption Bureau, so that they do a thorough independent job, prosecute all suspects, and recover the stolen resources where possible,” said Mutharika.

Mutharika also said his government is implementing newly-adopted fiscal reforms that seek to grow the country’s economy by 5.5 percent in 2014, up from an estimated 5.0 percent in 2013.

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Jacob Bernard Namtweya-Phiri

I congratulate Nyasa Times for consistently furnishing citizens who are outside Malawi with news and stories affecting our beloved country.

Jacob Phiri
Jacob Phiri
9 years ago

Malawi’s economy can not grow unless the executives adapt kamuzuism and its ideologies.

pina
pina
9 years ago

Kadziko ka malawi ndi kakang’no koti kangatukuke within two years ngati anthu ongwila ntchito boma atamagwilitsa ntchito ndalama mwachilungamo.
Stop stealing! !!!
Madonor akuthandizani mpaka liti.
siyani kuba!!!
Anthandizeni anthu a malawi.

Abiti Jafali
Abiti Jafali
9 years ago

Che Peter, u president obera umazunzatu.

George Samu
George Samu
9 years ago

We can do without donors if corruption is eleminated. At MRA half goes to the officers and Half to the Government, traffic police 80% to the officers and 20 to police, road traffic 70% goes to the officers, for your information the cashiers just receive money and produce some fake receipts. Investigate this, in all government departments money is shared the moment they’re funded, please investigate the 20/80 syndicate operated through malswitch cards, we are loosing more money through this syndicate, procurement processes are all a mess, ODPP is corrupted only mwenyezi get contracts and unflate prices, road traffic will… Read more »

Vavlov
Vavlov
9 years ago

I find it depressing to see a Malawian economist believing the country can develop through donor funding. For how long should Malawi depend on donor support? The least I would expect from an economist is proposals on how Malawi can attain financial self sustainability and not promoting donor dependency. Shame on you Mr economists, you are shallow, and not helpful to the country. .

mlomwe wa nzeru
mlomwe wa nzeru
9 years ago

if we work hands and hands we govt we can win

william
william
9 years ago

Though u said its written in the bible pls let us put aside the bible otherwise u would make those clever politicians to steal in the name of the last days

Ineyo
Ineyo
9 years ago

Add more predictions. You have just scratched an elephant on the back. Kuli mavuto a Yobu in 2015

chakwanuleka
chakwanuleka
9 years ago

Nothing will change. More strikes and no donor support. Which donor can give money to a party of thieves. Let them investigate the 92 billion or simply put letthem investigate their own pockets before the donors come forth.

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